Third, EVERY comment made on one of my guests’ blogs in December will be entered for a $50 Amazon gift certificate! So, read on and win!

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There are several things that you don’t generally find in a romance, most particularly elements of horror, but I’ve never been one to let that stop me and one of the things I adore most about writing steampunk is the flexibility of the genre. Create. Explore. Bend the rules. As long as you refine yourself to certain fundamental elements, namely steam-power or similar era technology, and aspects of bucking-the-system, then there are very few static boundaries.

One of the more fascinating aspects – at least for me – is the dark, Gothic style of certain steampunk novels (certainly not all). Terror and darkness, both atmospheric and the darkness within, are all ideas I love to read about. As a little girl – probably far too young for such reading material, but that probably explains a lot about me – I adored classics such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Grey, and Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories, to name a few.

When I created the London Steampunk series, I was fascinated with the idea of creating a race of vampiric creatures outside the romanticised norm. To create a vampire in the true sense of the word. A monster; a brute, unstoppable force that prowls the night, something that traces back to the horror of my Gothic-loving roots.

My blue bloods rule the aristocratic Echelon of London (think, a vampiric version of the ton) and are stricken with the craving virus. The virus gives them speed, longevity, excellent healing rates, strength and virility, all with only one conceivable flaw… The desire for blood. They rule London with a set of complex societal rules, and have imposed strict blood taxes on the nation.

But in exploring the system of the disease, one of the more interesting aspects was dealing with what happened once the virus overwhelmed a blue blood. Blade, the hero of my first book Kiss of Steel, was a rogue blue blood, his existence unsanctioned by law and his place as Master of Whitechapel leaving him a man with little to fear.

Except for the slow, unstoppable creep of the disease within him. The moment when rationality, indeed sense of self began to vanish, and he became nothing more than a blood-thirsty monster, driven by his craving. Completely overwhelmed by the disease, this is the start of what a blue blood perceives as the Fade – a long slippery downhill slope until nothing but a vampire remains.

Facing that fear was part of the fun of delving into Blade’s character. And in the third novel in the series, My Lady Quicksilver, I was able to explore another aspect of the craving virus with my hero, Sir Jasper Lynch.

Lynch is coldly controlled and his personal code of honour and duty are at polar ends of the spectrum to Blade. The one commonality between both heroes is their affliction, though both fear different aspects of the disease.

Of course, that’s not all my heroes have to deal with. In the time-honoured tradition of the kitchen sink, they’re also fighting not to lose their hearts to their heroines, or their lives to the madness of the London Steampunk world, where revolution, automatons and dangerous plots abound.

So if you fancy a somewhat-dark, slightly gothic paranormal steampunk romance, why not keep my London Steampunk series in mind? In lieu of Christmas, I’m in a somewhat generous mood, so I’d love to offer a signed copy of My Lady Quicksilver (open internationally), to one lucky commenter. Contest open until December 19, 2014.

MY LADY QUICKSILVER BY BEC MCMASTER – IN STORES OCTOBER 2013

“I WILL COME FOR YOU…”

He will find her no matter what. As a blue-blooded captain of the Nighthawk Guard, his senses are keener than most. Some think he’s indestructible. But once he finds the elusive Mercury, what will he do with her?

It’s his duty to turn her in—she’s a notorious spy and traitor. But after one stolen moment, he can’t forget the feel of her in his arms, the taste of her, or the sharp sting of betrayal as she slipped off into the night. Little does Mercury know, no one hunts better than the Nighthawk. And his greatest revenge will be to leave her begging for his touch…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. Read more about her at www.becmcmaster.com or follow her on Twitter, @BecMcMaster.

Steampunk can include a lot of different things, but it’s usually described as historical fantasy, most commonly set in the Victorian era. Often there is an element of unusual technology or science, much like the novels of Jules Verne. Often there are themes of rebellion. I’m using words like “usually” and “often” because there is no hard and fast rule about what steampunk includes, and that’s part of its charm. It’s a very free and imaginative genre.

I’ve even seen futuristic, post-apocalyptic steampunk with a very definite Victorian feel!

It seems to me that there are two main types of Steampunk readers – those who want romance with a
steampunk atmosphere, and those who want steampunk and are willing to go cross-genre to get it – creating the freedom you mention above, EJ.

Emma Jane and Bec, have you had any experience with people (readers, publishers) trying to herd you into one camp or the other, because they weren’t sure where your writing fit? I used to be a bookseller, and I’m interested to see if it’s still difficult to place a book that falls between the genre lines, or if steampunk has opened that up at all.

Wow! I am really starting to love steampunk the more of it I read the further I fall. I can honestly say that this may be my new favorite genre. This series sounds amazing. I need to get the first book and star from there. I just want to say thank you for helping bring about my new found love of steampunk and thank you for the giveaway!.

Hi Bec! I recently read the other novels in this series and I really, really enjoyed the blending of genre and the way the characters are so strong and yet you love their insecurities! I absolutely adored Will, but am hoping beyong hope to see Leo’s book… He is far too buttoned-up and I know there’s a wild heart in there!

This looks like a great series. I’ll have to check it out. I only recently started to read SteamPunk and love it. We did a SteamPunk author tea at my HallowRead last year and it was so cool. The authors came in garb and read excerpts. This genre is awesome!

Hi all! Sounds like Emma has given a great definition of steampunk. I use this equation for my own works… historical romance + fantasy + sci-fi = London Steampunk series. And I too love how open the genre can be to exploration. I’ve always been someone who seems to straddle genres – I find it more interesting to simply create the world, rather than sit down and decide which elements to add to it. It always surprises me how my mind works and before you know it, I have a paranormal/steampunk romance on my hands!

@Catherine My books definitely fit into the romance with steampunk influences, rather than hard steampunk. I’m a romance writer first and foremost. They could go either way into paranormal romance or steampunk, as I think they appeal equally to readers in each of those sub-genres. My publisher definitely markets them solely as steampunk romance, so that’s where they’ve chosen to ‘make them fit’. But yes, I often get readers saying it wasn’t what the expected (: In a nice way.
One of the things I enjoy most about the genre is that there is such a large diversity of stories that can fit within the mould – as you mentioned with the futuristic or post-apoc steampunk. It creates some very unique worlds, considering that that ‘Victorian’ feel is often expected.

Bec is a wonderful writer! You’ll love her books- they are captivating, intriguing, and hot. (: The men are genuine, the women have braincells, and the environments are fascinating. She’s also one of the only writers I know that takes the time to respond to her fans. She’s lovely and funny too. Go Bec!

This is a phenomenal series! Such an original idea, it only took a few pages to become immersed in Bec’s Steampunk London and this intoxicating, dark world. My favorite of the series is “Heart of Iron”. Will is so strong and yet so vulnerable. Love it! I can’t wait for more in this series. And “My Lady Quick Silver” certainly didn’t disappoint. Thank you, Bec!!

I’ve read the first two books, Kiss of Steel and Heart of Iron, and have My Lady Quicksilver on my TBR. I’m hoping to get to it very soon because I love this series, it’s fantastic! I don’t need to win a copy, but I just had to let everyone know what a wonderful series this is.

Happy Holidays, Bec and Emma! I would LOVE to win MLQ. Vamps. and steampunk are two of my favorite things. <~~sung to the tune of 'My Favorite Things' from 'Sound of Music'. Now I'll never get that song out of my head…. 😉